Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Too Close
AUTHOR: R. Phoenix
NARRATOR: Michael Lesley
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 5 hours, 25 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 6, 2019
BLURB:
Skylar Orion’s life has been complicated ever since his mother abandoned him and his sister Evie. Making ends meet seemed impossible until Tate Chandler took them in — his knight in shining armor who promised to make life about more than just surviving. But Tate is not the man he seemed to be, and even his whispered I love yous and generous gifts do little to soothe the pain he causes. Knowing he can’t give his sister all that she deserves without Tate, Skylar stays with him, relying on bad puns and a worse sense of humor to keep up the charade.
For his sister he will do anything, even if that means acting the responsible adult and going back to his old high school to meet Dexter Weston, the hot math teacher who can make even algebra interesting. Sparks fly between the two of them, but with his dependence on Tate, Skylar isn’t free to follow his heart. He wants what is best for Evie, but can he pass up the chance to find love that heals instead of harms?
Warning: Graphic Domestic Abuse and Violence.
REVIEW:
I find myself in this position often. Finishing a wonderful book, and lacking the words to tell you about how much I loved it. I’m going to do my best to try. There was so much hurt, so much pain. If you aren’t looking for an angsty story, you might want to sit this one out. It’s a wonderful story, but it’s also one that will hurt to read.
This isn’t so much as a romance as it is a story of breaking free and starting over. In the attempt to provide for his sister and keep custody of her Skylar made a deal with the proverbial devil. Not that he knew it at the time. In exchange for Tate giving them both a roof over their head and provide for them, Skylar had to keep him happy. No matter what. When Evie starts fall behind in school things gets much worse, and better for Skylar.
Domestic abuse happens everywhere. It’s too common. I heard someone say that the person that doesn’t know one domestic abusive relationship in their circle of friends, family and acquaintances has their eyes closed. Sadly that’s too true. That’s why these kinds of stories are so important. To remind us that it can happen to anyone but also that there is hope for something better in the future.
R. Phoenix did a great job crafting a relatable and genuine story. It felt real. Too real at times. She showed us the devastation of an abusive relationships, of how dependent Skylar was to Tate. That while he desperately wanted to leave, he couldn’t, wouldn’t. I also loved that while dealing with all the heaviness, the listener wasn’t boggled down with all the angst, there was a lightness to it, hope. Phoenix found that balance and rode it all the way home.
While romance isn’t the main focus of this book, there is a love interest from early on and I felt that even that was handled with great care and credibility. I loved the banter between Skylar and Dexter, the happiness he brought to both Skylar and Evie. Their relationship doesn’t happen until the very end of the book, when Skylar has broken free of Tate and had some time to start getting his feet on the ground. We aren’t really there for the development, but are shown moments in time of their story.
I also have to mention the cover. I love that cover so much. Not only is it different, but more than that it fits so perfectly with the story. The darkness, the hands. The sapling. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. This one is worth so much more, so many feelings more. It’s beautiful and perfect.
This was a new side of Michael Lesley. I’ve only listened to him narrating comedies before. There was banter in this book, but there was so much more angst and seriousness and he handled it all, I won’t say ease as I don’t think reading, writing or narrating this kind of story is ever easy, but it was great. He added is usual flare to it, some extra feeling, pensive pauses and so on. He’s definitely doing a wonderful job bringing the story and characters to life.
I don’t know if I liked that Lesley made me feel everything Skylar felt. Because he made me feel. A lot. There was so much pain and fear, hopelessness. None of which I particularly enjoy feeling. At the same time I love that he made me feel so much. Connect to the story. He made it mean more, and I can’t and won’t ask for anything more than that.
Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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